Ronen Tzur Withdraws from Democrats Primaries Citing Party's Harsh Response and Silence

Three days after announcing his joining of the Democrats party and his intention to run in its primaries, Ronen Tzur gave a charged interview on 103FM explaining his abrupt withdrawal from the race. Tzur revealed two key reasons for his dramatic decision: the extreme backlash to his criticism of a meeting with Jibril Rajoub and the silence from party leaders, including Yair Golan, following a fake SMS sent to Nimrod Shafir.

Tzur, a former key figure in the Hostages Families' headquarters, expressed deep disappointment with the treatment he received within his new political home. He compared the attacks against him to those he faced from right-wing circles in the past, noting that while he was once accused of echoing Hamas messages, now Yair Golan accuses him of echoing Likud messages. He condemned this as the same despicable tactic his political bloc has fought against.

In a direct and sharp critique, Tzur targeted Yair Golan, the party chairman and former deputy IDF chief of staff, for his public and personal conduct over the years and in recent days. Tzur recalled Golan's past controversial statement about Israel "killing babies as a hobby" and condemned Golan's recent derogatory remarks about him. He urged Golan to reconsider before becoming a machine of reckless outbursts.

Tzur concluded by highlighting his solitary struggle against a "poison machine," lamenting the lack of support from opposition leaders, including Golan, who he said did nothing to back him up during his public battles.